Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic.
W. H. AudenRead
Geniuses are the luckiest of mortals because what they must do is the same as what they most want to do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Geniuses are fortunate because their passions align with their purpose, allowing them to thrive.
This quote by W. H. Auden highlights the unique situation of geniuses, suggesting that their greatest desires and their lifeβs work coincide in a way that brings them fulfillment and success. Unlike many who pursue careers for monetary gains or societal approval, geniuses find joy in their pursuits, making their work an expression of their innermost selves.
Themes
GeniusLuckPassionPurposeFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech to inspire students about following their passions.
More from W. H. Auden
All quotes βThat the speech of self-disclosure should be translatable seems to me very odd, but I am convinced that it is. The conclusion that I draw is that the only quality which all human being without exception possess is uniqueness: any characteristic, on the other hand, which one individual can be recognized as having in common with another, like red hair or the English language, implies the existence of other individual qualities which this classification excludes.
W. H. AudenRead
Nobody knows what the cause is, though some pretend they do; it like some hidden assassin waiting to strike at you. Childless women get it, and men when they retire; it as if there had to be some outlet for their foiled creative fire.
W. H. AudenRead
History is, strictly speaking, the study of questions; the study of answers belongs to anthropology and sociology.
W. H. AudenRead
Music is the best means we have of digesting time.
W. H. AudenRead
'Healing,' Papa would tell me, 'is not a science, but the intuitive art of wooing nature.'
W. H. AudenRead
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